EOC President Spyros Capralos believes the appointment of a chief executive will add to the professionalism of the organisation ©Getty Images

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) have launched their quest for a chief executive as the organisation increases its activities.

"We are working hard to become a more professional organisation, with many initiatives, including hiring specialists for our events, focusing on sustainability efforts, our Paris 2024 House initiative, setting up the European Games task force, and now by starting the recruitment for a CEO," EOC President Spyros Capralos said.

The decision to appoint a chief executive had been approved in January by EOC’s Executive Committee during its meeting at Friuli Venezia Giulia in January during the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).

The new appointee will be based at EOC Headquarters in Rome on an "open-ended Italian employment contract subject to a trial period to be agreed upon."

The requirements were laid out in an official job specification.

"The EOC is seeking a dynamic and experienced chief executive to lead our organisation," it said 

"You will head a professional team, working diligently to achieve our strategic priorities and boost partnership and commercial revenue."

The new chief executive will be expected to lead the daily operations of the EOC "to align with the EOC's strategic mission, ensuring fiscal prudence and compliance with safety and regulatory requirements".

The new appointee is expected to work closely with EOC secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi ©Getty Images
The new appointee is expected to work closely with EOC secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi ©Getty Images

They will also be expected to "inspire and lead a professional team to foster employee engagement and cultivate a high-performance team culture".

The new appointee is expected to work closely with EOC secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi and sport director Peter Brüll.

The successful applicant is expected to possess "excellent communication and public speaking abilities," and be fluent in English and "ideally other languages, with a preference for Italian".

The EOC was originally constituted in the late 1960s, but its activities grew under the Presidency of Jacques Rogge.

He oversaw the inauguration of the European Youth Olympic Festival, held in Brussels in 1991 and a Winter EYOF introduced at Aosta in 1993.

The EOC is also responsible for the Games of the Small States of Europe, first held in 1985 and the European Games introduced in 2015.

The recruitment process is being handled by the professional network specialists Deloitte.

Applications for the post close on November 20.

It is expected that an appointment will be announced early in the new year.